By the ArborSpring Leadership Community

June marks ArborSpring’s eighth birthday. We were birthed as an official 501(c)3 religious corporation in 2007. In some ways, we thought that by now we might be further along in our development. In other ways, we are amazed at how much the Lord has accomplished through us and grown the ministry. Our inner healing prayer ministry, spiritual direction, mentoring, leadership consultation, workshops, and retreats are well established; our circle of contacts has increased; and, most importantly, God is using ArborSpring to restore, transform and equip people for kingdom life, ministry and mission.

At our recent board meeting we looked at Exodus 23:23-30, from which the title of this article comes: “Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land” (v. 30).  The Lord told the Israelites that he would not remove their enemies all at once, lest the wild beasts take over and the land become desolate. Instead, in his timing, he empowered them to conquer their enemies, and eventually possess the land promised to them.

We are indeed grateful for God’s provision and grace as we have moved ahead, little by little. We have come to appreciate this biblical principle of “little by little.” We recognize that if the Lord had given us the envisioned retreat house initially, “all at once,” we would not have had the ability to sustain it. We would have been overcome by the hungry animal of finances and been drained of our time, energy and other resources. But, God, in his wisdom, has been enabling us to “increase” over time as he did with the Israelites, so that we will be in a position to “take the land,” the property he will provide.

In our board meeting we not only looked at the little by little principle relative to ArborSpring, but also in light of our personal lives. We invite you to read the Exodus passage as well and ask the same questions we did: “What is the ‘land’ I want to possess or that God is giving me to possess?” “Where in my life have I seen the principle of ‘little by little’ in operation?” “In what ways have I seen God act to ‘drive out the enemies’ before me?” As you pause to ponder these questions, we pray that the Lord will speak to you, and your heart will become full of awe and gratitude, just like ours.  

By Pastor Ron Miyake

The other day as I was listening to radio station 99.5 KKLA, I heard Dr. Ravi Zacharias (www.rzim.org) make this statement: “There are those who claim that God is dead and who live like God is dead. But the greater worry I have is in the church where people claim God is alive but then turn around and act as if He were dead.”

This quote really struck me. It made me wonder… Do our lives really reflect what we say we believe about God and His Word?  Does the church, those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, live in a way that reflects faith in God and who He is? Do our lives reflect believing in and living in the hope of God’s promises in His Word, having lives that reflect the Holy Spirit in us, being who God says we are, doing the things that God calls His people to do? OR are we living in a way that contradicts what we say we believe?

Thinking of this reminded me of a phrase that I used in a sermon back on September 14, 2014 regarding faith:

Faith in God is…

My heartfelt inner conviction that God is who He says He is, He does what He says He will do, and I am who He says I am.

(This definition was modified from something I read in the Life Application Study Bible on Genesis 15:6.)

Thinking about this definition of faith, I’ve been trying to be aware of these three areas when I read or listen to the Bible. I’m trying to make note of descriptions of who God is, His promises concerning what He did and what He will do, and what He has to say about those who are His followers. 

Then after I see these things in Scripture, my prayer is, “Lord, help me to remember these truths in Your Word and to live by them.”

Irene Mar made a postcard based on this definition of faith that I used. It includes descriptions that the Women’s Branch came up with for each of these three areas. You can pick up a copy of this card at the church office. 

May we be a people whose lives reflect what we say we believe.

by Kay Carey

I only know a few words in Greek such as koinonia, agape, charis, chara, eucharisteo, etc. The newest addition to my Greek vocabulary list is “parakaleo” which means “to exhort, to encourage”. Do you know how many times it appears in the New Testament? More than 100 times…which leads me to conclude that God really wants us to do this while we are on this earth.

I am grateful that Pastor Kenny mentioned the book titled “Encouragement” last summer in a staff meeting. I read the book and it really helped me to realize that that we are called to encourage our fellow Christians regardless of what our circumstances and feelings are. The author reminded me that there are many people who are hurting more deeply than we realize including those in our local church. On Sundays, we tend to put on our happy faces but we never know what other people are going through in their private lives.

Encouragement can come in many forms. A note, an act of service, kind words, acknowledgement of any praiseworthy behavior or performance can be encouraging. They are all good but Dr. Larry Crabb defines it as “the kind of expression that helps someone want to be a better Christian, even when life is rough”.

He points out that not all conversations are encouraging because they often can be self-centered and we never move beyond talking about ourselves or the trivial. Most of the time, we feel that we just don’t know enough about other people to encourage them.       

How can we overcome this condition in our local church? My approach is one person (couple, family) at a time. After the Sunday service, I try to approach a person (couple, family) whom God indicates. Starting with a smile and looking into their eyes, I ask them how they are really doing. The responses vary but the results have been very positive and rewarding. Often times, I get to pray for/with them when prompted by the Spirit after the conversation. I am grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit who guides me through this journey of “parakaleo”.            

It’s a win-win situation! Not only do I get to know them and encourage them but I feel so blessed knowing that they are encouraged and drawing near to Him no matter what their life situations may be. In fact, that’s what encouragement is supposed to accomplish in God’s family.            

Why don’t you join me in this adventure of “parakaleo” with God’s help to encourage each other more intentionally? Let´s start with our faith family on Sundays. Then extend it to whomever God puts in our life wherever we are during the week. Start with a smile and “hello”. We will be encouraged as we prayerfully and intentionally seek the Lord to indicate to us who needs encouragement today…           

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

by Paul Lu

I had for a while longed to spend alone time with Jesus. Inevitably, life gets too busy and the first thing that suffers is my relationship with Jesus; so when I saw the opportunity, I quickly signed up!

The day came and my wife and I were very much looking forward to it. Our group was not very big, so it provided an intimate setting for sharing. After a short introduction and lead-in questions we each chose a quiet corner to spend a prolonged quiet time reading the Word, meditating and praying to the Lord.

After a quick survey of the retreat grounds, I decided to go in a very small but well-kept chapel. The well-illuminated altar, the kneelers, cushioned chairs and the carpeted floor provided a very comfortable setting that was conducive to meditation and prayer.

I really appreciated Pastor Dan for compiling Bible verses that show how God is good and sovereign and purposeful. As I was reading these verses the Holy Spirit showed me that there was fear in my life, and that I needed Jesus to release me from these strongholds. I also noticed how quickly my mind wanders off to the worries and anxieties within me. I started to pray that the Holy Spirit would come and help me focus on what the Lord would have to say to me.

After reading through the verses, there was one particular verse that spoke to me. It was from 2 Chronicles 32:7-8:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

My soul was suddenly uplifted when I read this. It reminded me that God is sovereign; that I need not be imprisoned by my fears – fear of failure, fear of incompetence and fear about the future. Sure, my fears were real, but I was not alone. The battle is the Lord’s.

I thank the Lord for revealing His sovereignty and power to me and I thank Evergreen for “A Day with Jesus.” It has been a blessing to me and I know that many more will be blessed through it.